10 Absurd Comic Book Characters Who Will Never Get A Film
Because there's only so much room for silly nonsense in superhero movies.
Comic book films are probably the closest to a sure thing that exists in Hollywood. They routinely amass huge box office numbers, even when the critical consensus of the film is negative. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, for example, was almost universally panned by both critics and audiences alike -- but that didn't stop it from earning over $872 million in theaters.
So it seems likely that the people who are in charge of adapting comic books for the big screen are going to be a little bit more willing to take risks on some superheroes that are slightly less known that Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and all of the old standards.
That said, there are some comic book characters that are so ridiculous, it would be pretty tough to make a case for their existence in general, let alone their transition into a film franchise. The long and illustrious history of comic books is filled with characters who have aged badly or, quite frankly, were never really a great idea in the first place.
10. The Black Bomber
Once upon a time in the 1970s, when characters at DC Comics were as white as the driven snow, a decision was made to start introducing diversity into their lineup of superheroes. In this context, that meant one thing: they needed a black superhero, and they needed him right away. Hence the concept of the Black Bomber was born.
Now would probably be a good time to sit down, if you aren't already.
The Black Bomber was a white supremacist who, during moments of stress, would turn into a black superhero. Basically (and this is not made up) he would say the n-word to transform into his alter ego, and neither identity was aware of the other. Also, to make matters worse, the character got this superpower after being exposed to an Agent Orange type gas that would allow soldiers in Vietnam to better blend into the jungle.
If you're experiencing a full body cringe at the moment, that is the correct reaction. Luckily for humanity, the Black Bomber never saw the light of day, and DC decided to make Black Lightning, a far more worthy candidate, its first black superhero.